Monthly Archives: May 2010

There certainly has been a lot of love being spread around Twitter applications in recent weeks. Earlier this morning Twitter re-launched and rebranded Tweetie 2 as Twitter for iPhone 3 and a few short hours later RIM announced that a revamped version of Twitter for BlackBerry Unlocked Gadget is in route. This new BlackBerry version will stay in beta for a while and has a bunch of new and user-requested features, including:

· Quote Tweets

Ability to edit ReTweets

· Auto Complete for @ usernames

When you type an “@” followed by characters, the auto complete feature pops up a list of users as you type

Ability to access any users profile from anywhere in the application using auto-complete functionality for followers

· Additional photo viewing support

The new Twitter for BlackBerry code is set to roll out “over the course of tonight and Thursday” according to RIM’s PR team. The requirements to run this new application include a 64 MB BlackBerry smartphone, Twitter account and an Operating System of 4.5 or higher.

By the sounds of this update RIM has really done a number on their Twitter client. These new features should make the lives of Twitter users much easier.

Hollywood often portrays criminals as masterminds capable of plotting devious capers that evade all but the sharpest of crime fighters. In real life, however, that's rarely the case. In fact, most criminals are stupid and desperate. They are often their own worst enemy when it comes to avoiding arrest. Here's five examples of how something as simple as a cell phone foiled the plans of these “evil geniuses.”

First up is 17-year-old Christopher Franko, and his 16-year-old girlfriend, Dana Saltzman. On May 7, 2010, they were arrested for plotting to shoot up their high school. The plot was revealed in their text message history, with one message reading “May we kill as many as possible and teach these bastards a lesson." Their obviously well-thought out plan included researching home-made bombs and attempting to purchase a shotgun, which they were turned down for because neither one was 18. Interesting side note, Franko was arrested and plead guilty to making similar plans back in 2007.

#4 - Think twice before you use a stolen cell phone to snap your own picture.

Our next criminal genius was caught in a similar fashion. 21-year-old Korey Woodard, with the help of some friends, jacked a cell phone from a University of Illinois student. Korey must have needed it to snap a new picture for his OK Cupid profile, because after he stole the phone, he connected it to his computer to transfer the pictures off the phone. What our fine young criminal failed to realize was the university student had his phone set to automatically upload all new pictures to his Facebook profile when it connects to a computer. Two days after the phone was stolen, a picture of Woodard's smiling face appeared on the victim's profile.

Four young men executed the perfect late night mugging. Derek Kelly, 22, Craig Speakman, 23, and their two 17-year-old underlings waited in the shadows until they spotted their victims. A 19 year old man and his 21 year old girlfriend were walking home after a quick run to a nearby store, when the four muggers stopped them at gun point. They pushed the two victims to the ground and pistol whipped the man into submission before making off with their wallets and recently purchased food. They would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for the cell phone that fell out of one of the assailant's pockets. In a stroke of pure genius, he decided to head back to the scene of the crime to pick it up where the suspects were arrested by police.

In September of 2006, Vinson Filyaw abducted then-14-year-old Elizabeth Shoaf by posing as a police officer. After a long, disoriented walk through nearby woods, he locked Shoaf in an underground bunker near the trailer he lived in. There, only a mile away from her home, he held her in captivity for 10 days. He must have been sympathetic to the boredom his victim experienced living through a monotonous routine of repeated raping, because Filyaw let Shoaf borrow his cell phone to play games. After he fell asleep, she wasted no time in sending text messages to her mother and several friends. They contacted the police, who then triangulated her position from nearby cell towers. Filyaw fled after hearing he was under pursuit on his battery powered radio, and was later arrested.

#1 - If you're going to use prepaid cell phones to plot an international terrorist attack, switch to a new phone often.

What is it with terrorists lately? First, we've got the explosive underwear bomber in Detroit who only succeeded in blowing up his own pants. Now, the failed bombing of Times Square in New York. As if not having your bomb go off wasn't embarrassing enough, Faisal Shahzad was tracked down because of a prepaid cell phone he used while coordinating the attack. Instead of using multiple prepaid phones, Shahzad used one phone for the 12 days he spent making arrangements. Apparently, Shahzad didn't watch enough episodes of 24 to know that, though. This is probably the most ridiculous example of criminal stupidity in the list.

So there you have it. 5 shining cases where a cell phone was the downfall of law breakers. If you're going to delve into the world of crime, make sure you're smarter than they were. Let's review five things to avoid with your cell phone when breaking the law.

Don't plan your caper via text message.

Don't snap your picture with a stolen phone.

Don't forget to buy a holster for your phone.

Don't let your victims borrow your phone.

And remember to switch phones often to avoid being tracked down.

If you follow the above tips, your life of crime should be fruitful and free of police intervention.

Earlier today T-Mobile announced that the HTC Unlocked ( myTouch 3G Slide ) will become available to shoppers on June 2nd. While the myTouch 3G Slide is nowhere near the most advanced Android smartphone on the market many people are very excited about its pending release. This particular handset will come with the Android OS which is quickly becoming the most popular operating system for cellular devices. In addition to that there will be many top notch features included with the myTouch 3G Slide that is easily going to this a great smartphone.

T-Mobile announced this device will carry a price tag of $179.99 after a $50 mail in rebate. This price is being deemed on the high side by some people as it is only $20 cheaper than Sprint’s EVO 4G that is projected to launch 4 days later for $199.99. While you may be paying almost the same price with the myTouch 3G Slide I think that this is still a good deal for this type of smartphone. With a large touchscreen, sliding QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth and the latest Android techonology the $179.99 price tag does not seem to be asking that much for this particular handset.

Along with all of the great features and specs associated with the myTouch 3G Slide you will also get T-Mobile’s network which is one of the best networks you can join. Rarely do people have any significant issues while using T-Mobile’s cellular network and I would not expect things to change when using the myTouch 3G Slide.

Google powered Android phones and IPhone Unlocked Device are both starting to dominate the market share for smartphones. According to Gartner the combined worldwide market share for both operating systems reached 25% in the first quarter which is up 12% from the year before. The iPhone still has the bigger share at 15.4% (up 5 points) but Android is starting to catch up fast with 9.6% (up 8 points). All of the other smartphones lost relative share in the first quarter.

Android is now the fourth largest smartphone operating system surpassing Windows Mobile which now sits in 5th place. The iPhone is number 3 while RIM and Symbian are numbers 2 and 1 respectively on a worldwide basis. Although if you look at all mobile phone sales RIM is number 4 and the iPhone ranks 7th with just a 2.7% market share.

Android is rising faster than the iPhone in relative share but is still trailing in relative numbers. Gartner estimates that consumers bought about 8.4 million iPhones in the first quarter compared to 5.2 million Android phones. Both numbers are up considerably over last year’s first quarter as only 4.9 million iPhones were sold in that time frame along with 4.6 million Android units.

With the recent launch of Android 2.2 which supports Flash technology it is expected that the Android OS will continue its upward trend and close the market share gap with the IPhone even more in Q2. By having access to Flash Player 10.1 Android devices have a technology that Apple does not support possibly giving it the edge while competing for new customers. This technology will allow users to have a different and more enjoyable experience when using their Smartphones to surf the web. I will certainly not be surprised if the Android OS inches even closer to the iPhone in terms of worldwide market share.

Sony has released one of the smallest android phones out there. The Unlocked Sony Ericsson Xperia x10 Mini is a compact phone has taken the words to a whole new understanding. It easily fits in the palm of your hand, and has maintained many of the qualities of its big brother, the Xperia x10. The overall measurements are 3.27" x 1.9". It has a thickness of .63 inches, which makes it very small and slim phone, which Sony Ericsson has kept the curved design feature, make it a great phone to hold..

The Xperia x10 Mini has a 2.55-inch capacitive screen with QVGA resolution, and uses the Android interface, known as UX utilizing Timescape UI. This allows the user a better experience as well as integrating with web services and social media. Since the screen is so small, you will not be able to have more than one widget at a time, but this does not seem to be a liability. There are four shortcuts you applications in the home screen, which you can also change, based on your preferences. Surprisingly, the small phone even sports a five megapixel camera, including a flash, auto focus and geo-tagging. It also has video capability, which can be utilized in the 640x480 pixel resolution.

The Xperia X10 Mini from is able to surf the web extremely smoothly, but small screen size sometimes it is a little hard to read. It will work with the 3G, Wi-Fi networks, and this smart phone, with the touchscreen capability is a fast and extremely functional phone. It is Bluetooth supported and has A-GPS, digital compass and a 3.5mm audio jack. This may be too small to phone for some people with larger hands, but it can be utilized by everyone. It is expected that the phone will be available sometime in the second quarter of 2010. Its sister phone, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mini Pro Unlocked Gadget.

Unlocked Samsung released the (Gravity 2) in a response to all of those that wanted a great messaging phone. It is a newer model of the Gravity from Samsung and is not only a candy bar style phone, but also has the slide out keyboard. The great pumpkin color and the slim design make it easy to handle. The phone is 4.5 inches x 2.5 inches and is .60 thick. It makes it very easy to carry the phone and to hold. The screen provides 2.3 inches of viewing and has a 240x320 mega pixel screen resolution.

The Samsung Gravity 2 is great for those looking for a cellular phone with enhanced messaging features, and all of the phone functions to make life easier. The front of the phone has three larger keys for sending receiving and messaging. The outer ring of the ok button will give you the ability to navigate your social media contacts as well as your call logs. There is a lot of room in between the keys and they are raised in order to be able to access them much easier. There is a data entry book that will allow you to store over 1000 entries and giving you the ability to store all kinds of great information about your family and friends. The phone will let you do predictive text, which makes messaging just that much simpler.

The Samsung Unlocked ( Gravity 2) gadget uses the 3G network and is Bluetooth ready. It comes with A-GPS application with term by turn directions. It has all of the wonderful media features, and streaming videos is quite simple. The phone has a two megapixel camera with zoom and all people shot features. It also has an MP3 player, which you will feel to download and store all of your favorite music and you can even choose your favorite song as background music for your phone. The battery life gives you 5.5 hours of talk time and over 12 days of additional standby time. This phone is in an affordable price range and is a great social media and messaging mobile phone device.

Sony Ericsson Unlocked gadgets has been asked really busy since the conference in Barcelona a few months ago. They have not only release the Xperia X10, the X10 Mini but also the Mini Pro. This small phone is elegant and slim, while being able to fit comfortably into the palm of your hand as well as your pocket or purse. It has all of the multi-platform features and functions of the Xperia as well.

The Unlocked Xperia Mini Pro by Sony Ericson has the four icons on the main screen of this touchscreen smart phone and you can access the widgets for all of the features that you use often. What is great about this particular phone is the fact that it also has a four QWERTY keyboard that slides out. The phone has the curved features like its other siblings so that it is easy and comfortable to hold. The interface that it uses is the Timescape, which helps to bring all of your communications integrated into workplace. In addition, it also has the musicscape application so that you can keep all of your music organized and together one place. You are able to download from all of your favorite websites, and it displays the songs information while it is plain.

The five-megapixel camera has auto focus, zoom and geo-tagging, which will provide clear and wonderful pictures that you are able to directly send to your friends using all of your messaging features. You can purchase additional applications from the android market, which is constantly being updated. It will give you 3.5 hours of talk time and up to 360 hours of standby time. This small package carries a lot of power and keeps Sony Ericsson, a major player in the Mini style of phones.

Rumors are starting to fly surrounding the price of the upcoming myTouch 3G Slide Phone from T-Mobile. Recent speculation has this new device hitting retail stores with a price of $399.99 on an Even More Plus plan and $149.99 with an Even More plan after a $50 mail in rebate. This is also an option to pay $23 per month over 20 months. While this is the same price T-Mobile is asking for the original and slide-less myTouch 3G I am not so sure that these rumors are accurate. Also, this new T-Mobile handset was originally set to be released on June 2nd but it is sounding more and more like it will be released on June 16th.

While it would be great if the new myTouch 3G Slide was released as the same price as the original myTouch 3G it is unlikely that a newer and better device will be released for the same price. I would expected the myTouch 3G Slide to be slight more expensive than the original but not too much more where it would scare off consumers.

It is nice to finally get a gauge of what the new myTouch 3G Slide will be priced when it is finally released by T-Mobile. From these initial rumors it looks like this new handset is going to be one of the more affordable Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S Android 2.1 devices to be released this summer. Hopefully T-Mobile is able to release this product on June 2nd as some people are speculating so consumers will not have to wait much longer to get their hands on this fantastic smartphone. If the release date does end up being June 16th I guess that won’t be too big of a deal. We have waited this long so another 2 weeks shouldn’t be too hard to get through, right?

For those Sprint customers who have been patiently waiting for the arrival of the BlackBerry Bold 9650 today is your lucky day. After searching Sprint’s website it appears as if this device is finally available for sale online. The retail price is $450 but this new BlackBerry device can be had for as little as $199.99 after a $100 mail in rebate and 2 year contract.

The Unlocked BlackBerry Bold 9650 offers a wide variety of features that make it one of the best smartphones available right now. The BlackBerry Bold 9650 comes with a 3.2 Megapixel camera, WiFi, microSD compatibility upgradeable to 32GB, Instant Messaging capabilities with the best messaging programs, GPS, Sprint TV and Bluetooth. The full QWERTY keyboard also makes sending text messages and emails a breeze. With all of these features standard it is easy to see why the BlackBerry Bold 9650 is expected to be a hot seller this summer.

With sales starting to slip for BlackBerry devices RIM is trying to make big comeback in the smartphone market with this new device. Perfect for the business crowd or the casual smartphone enthusiast the BlackBerry Bold 9650 offers a wide array of features that will appeal to the masses. Whether you wish to use this phone for business or pleasure there will be a ton of features and apps that will suit your needs. The BlackBerry Bold 9650 is one of the most sophisticated Unlocked Smartphones on the market to date. If you are looking to upgrade to a BlackBerry device this would be a great one to get your hands on. Even if you currently have a BlackBerry you should consider upgrading to this handset as well. I am sure you will not be disappointed that you did.

Due to an inadequate supply of parts there has been a widespread shortage of HTC Unlocked (Incredible) Android devices according to Verizon Wireless CEO Lowell McAdam. While having been unable to stockpile enough key components such as the WVGA capacitive display assemblies manufactured by Samsung, entire shipments of the HTC-made Android smartphone are selling out within hours of their arrival at retail stores. According to McAdam the shortages are so severe that Verizon Wireless has had to pull way back on the number of deliveries in order to focus on online sales. If there had not been such a shortage of handsets the Incredible would have easily outsold its predecessor the Motorola DROID. Roughly 100,000 units of the Incredible were sold in the first two days this device was on the market. Verizon’s website claims that orders for the Incredible will be fulfilled by June 3rd.

It appears that the demand for the Droid Incredible has far exceeded Verizon’s expectations. This is good news and bad news for the cell phone manufacturer. Of course it is great news that their new Android device is such a big hit with consumers but it is unfortunate that they are unable to keep these smartphones in stock due to an inadequate supply of parts. The HTC Google Nexus One Android gadget was predicted to be one of the hotter Android devices on the market when it was released but I am willing to bet that many industry experts did not foresee this shortage of units. Nor did they ever think these devices would be selling out within hours of being delivered to stores. Hopefully Verizon gets their act together quickly so that everyone who is eagerly waiting to get their hands on one of these new smartphones can do so before June 3rd as Verizon mentioned.